Thread: More news on the citizenship test

New Citizenship Test Begins Trial Run
Wednesday, February 14, 2007 10:11 PM EST
The Associated Press
By ELIZABETH WHITE

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — A new citizenship test designed to make applicants think about questions rather than just memorize answers is beginning a trial run.

Volunteers will try out the new questions in San Antonio and El Paso beginning Thursday. Officials in eight other cities nationwide also are beginning to administer the pilot naturalization test this month, in an effort to revamp the exam for 2008.

The 140 or so draft questions on the pilot test cover U.S. history and government, but many are designed to be concept-oriented, as opposed to many current questions that require memorization of historical facts.

"You don't have to put a lot of thought process into something you could just memorize," said Myrna Garza, a district adjudications officer for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in San Antonio. "This will help you ... understand what's actually happening, the reason for it."

One question, for example, asks: "What does the judicial branch do?" The three answers accepted as correct are: "reviews and explains laws," "resolves disputes between parties" and "decides if a law goes against the Constitution."

The reading and writing portions of the exam are also being revamped, but only slightly, Garza said.

To pass, test-takers must orally answer correctly six of 10 pilot questions on the civics section of the pilot test. If they don't pass, they can take the regular test afterward.

The other cities that will start administering the pilot soon are Albany, N.Y; Boston; Charleston, S.C.; Denver; Kansas City, Mo.; Miami; Tucson, Ariz.; and Yakima, Wash.

After the question tryouts, the government will spend a year whittling the pilot test down to 100 questions, with consultation from community groups and educators.

"I want to make sure that people understand this is certainly not to make the test more difficult," said USCIS spokeswoman Maria Elena Garcia-Upson. "We will continue to accept immigrants literally from countries A to Z. We just want to make sure that when they're (reciting) the oath of allegiance, raising their right hand at the time of the ceremony, that they understand our process here in this country and what our forefathers stood for."

USCIS expects to spend about $6.5 million to revise the test

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Question: Why is it that everyone in immigration has hispanic names? Something is wrong. I know that hispanics receive a five point perference in the federal hiring system but surely there are other people than hispanics in America. Regardless of what Bush and the democrats believe.

Originally Posted by Beckyal

Question: Why is it that everyone in immigration has hispanic names? Something is wrong. I know that hispanics receive a five point perference in the federal hiring system but surely there are other people than hispanics in America. Regardless of what Bush and the democrats believe.

I dont know
But It could be do to the fact that alomst 90 percent of the people taking the test are hispanic, latino, or it could be Names which you speak of .., they are the best people for the job !!!! Or the Goverment wanted it that way ?????
your right it should be tested on the average american with lower then a masters or no college level experince.

I have to admit, I have noticed such thing in the past and at least partially wondered the same.

Also, it would be instructive to get a copy of the new test to see how the questions are focused, phrased and which material they cover too...

Just curious, what is the pass/fail ratio on the current citizenship test?

Originally Posted by MW

Just curious, what is the pass/fail ratio on the current citizenship test?

People would be able to take citizenship test as many times as they need.
Special arrangements would be made for people who would have difficulty taking a test without assistance because of their low levels of literacy. They would be required to take the test in an alternate format.


Im still looking for a record of how many people take it , i can asume since natulazation is down from 1999 int today that most people are skiping the hole test and just movwing in with out it.

Already immigrants must pass a citizenship test that many native-born Americans could not pass. Its true most of those folks are already here, they are already criminal citizens, in all likelihood at least somewhat assimilated, and, unlikely to care, they are not knocking on our door asking to be granted what should be a precious privilege, American citizenship. And once we prove that to them, the test isn’t needed.
As far as I can tell most criminal aliens in the United States today have already failed the first question on the test Being of sound mind and having good morals.
We allow foreign criminals (that’s what criminal immigrants are) to enter and become American citizens with virtually no proof that they understand (let alone believe in) our history, founding principles, animating political philosophy, and unique constitutional framework. But must of all they get chance after chance after chance and if they still fail the ACLU says we are being racist.
I have the best example ever I Run an add in the paper full time for employees .
Today I interviewed two guys after a phone interview: First (the guy on the phone wasn’t the guy that showed up here. when these guys got here neither one could fill out the application. One had an id with a SS# already on my do not hire list
the other didnt have one . I told them we needed to completee the enter view on the job but first.
we told them we need to take a picture of them in case we need to send them to a boy scoutt camp job, and they let us.
I hope for thier sake the address they gave me was not fake